FOGGY DAY INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN
The following bulletin is intended to help clarify some district-wide foggy day procedures.
Be assured that our Transportation Department Staff, Bus Drivers, and School-wide Staff are all trained on the appropriate protocols to be followed during these hectic days.
Between 5:00am and 5:30am, the Transportation Departmentbegins gathering information frommultiple sources that will help them determine if a foggy day plan is called. This decision is not done independently. Staff members “physically” driveto thedifferent regional locations that our busses travel. Based on this input, the decision is made to call, or not call,a Foggy Day Schedule. The difficulty is that fog can be very unpredictable.
Our “Country Routes” begin around 6:00 am. They are normally completed between 7:00am and 7:15am. Again, fog can be very unpredictable, but as a rule, the country routes are back in town before the thick fog arrives. Drivers have indicated that when routes are delayed, driving conditions can actually become more difficult.
It is important to know that both the high school and Alview-Dairyland routes are different than the ChowchillaElementarySchoolDistrict routes. We each have routes that cover different areas. Specifically, they have routes that go much deeper into the country andtravel West of Hwy 152, normally a more foggy area. As a result, there may be times when the elementary district does not call a foggy day plan and the other districts may.
At anytime, when visibility becomes a concern, our drivers are trained to seek out a safe location to park their bus. They will waituntil visibility is acceptable for safe driving. In the past, with minimal disruption, we have delayed our in-town shuttle routes from site to site for a short amount of time until it clears.
It is understood by staff, when a foggy day schedule is called, there may be a delay in getting children to school.If this happens, just notify the office staff that you will be late. The schools and classes still remain on a regular schedule for those students who are not affected by the foggy day bus routes. Our priority is that everyone slow down and be safe.
Foggy day updates can be found on PBS18, ABC30, KMJ580, (559) 715-2872 and the district Facebook page. The district will also send out an auto-dialer message to families.
Thank you for your patience,
Dr. Charles Martin, Superintendent
FairmeadSchool • Merle L. FullerSchool • RonaldReaganSchool • StephensSchool • WilsonMiddle School